Category: Worldwide
Category Added in a WPeMatico Campaign
“I am fearful that there are titles and companies that won’t be able to ride this out,” said one media analyst.
With fans unable to attend wrestling shows for the foreseeable future due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it’s an ongoing challenge to find ways to keep big matches interesting for folks watching at home. At WrestleMania, that included the very fun Boneyard Match, the completely bananas (and surprisingly deep) Firefly Fun House Match, and the less successful Performance Center Last Man Standing Match. Now we’ve found out the plan for next month’s Money in the Bank, and it’s certainly something we haven’t seen before.
On Smackdown, it was revealed that this year’s Money in the Bank matches won’t just involve climbing ladders – participants will be ascending WWE’s corporate headquarters at Titan Towers in Stamford, Connecticut. As Corey Graves put it on the show:
The match begins on the ground floor of headquarters, but the infamous briefcases – containing the contracts for a championship match anytime, anyplace – will be hanging all the way up on the roof of the corporate tower.
Money In The Bank at @WWE HQ? Take our money!#SmackDown pic.twitter.com/hYsI9JZNmK
— WWE on FOX (@WWEonFOX) April 18, 2020
Among other things, this explains why The Wrestle Daily tweeted photos earlier today of a wrestling ring, and a rig for hanging belts above it, on the roof of Titan Towers.
WWE reportedly filmed some content for the Money In The Bank PPV on the roof of WWE Headquarters. Here’s some pics… #MITB pic.twitter.com/97qf5lc002
— The Wrestle Daily (@thewrestledaily) April 17, 2020
We don’t know many other details at this point, but it seems likely these will be offsite “cinematic” matches like the two at WrestleMania, with the rest of the PPV being taped at the Performance Center in Orlando. At least one person is almost certainly getting thrown down a flight of stairs, but as long as nobody goes off the roof it shouldn’t be too much more dangerous than a normal Money in the Bank ladder match.
Here are your quick and dirty, editorial-free WWE Friday Night Smackdown results for April 17, 2020. This week’s show featured a pair of Money in the Bank qualifying matches, a triple threat (singles) match for the Smackdown Tag Team Championship, and more. Make sure you’re here tomorrow for the complete Best and Worst of Friday Night Smackdown column.
WWE Friday Night Smackdown Results:
– Braun Strowman was a guest on A Moment Of Bliss, and talked about how he used to be a member of the Wyatt Family, but is trying to forget that time in his life. During the interview, a package was delivered to Braun that contained his old “black sheep” mask.
1. Tamina defeated Sasha Banks. Lacey Evans showed up to even the odds against Bayley, which allowed Tamina to hit a pair of superkicks and win the match. Per a pre-match stipulation, Tamina will now get a Smackdown Women’s Championship match against Bayley.
2. Sheamus squashed Denzel DeJournette and won with a Brogue Kick. Sheamus was upset at Michael Cole for talking about Jeff Hardy, and wants respect.
– Another Jeff Hardy video aired, this one focused around his various arrests.
3. Money in the Bank Qualifying Match: Dana Brooke defeated Naomi with a sunset flip to earn a spot in the women’s Money in the Bank ladder match.
– Sonya Deville “cleared the air” with Mandy Rose by calling her selfish and saying she’s tired of being second best. Dolph Ziggler interrupted and tried to get Mandy to realize they have a connection. Deville attacked Rose, so Otis showed up, beat up Ziggler, and hit the Caterpillar.
4. Money in the Bank Qualifying Match: Daniel Bryan defeated Cesaro. Bryan won by submission with the Yes Lock.
– King Corbin attacked Elias backstage.
– Drew Gulak vs. King Corbin and Lacey Evans vs. Sasha Banks are next week’s Money in the Bank qualifying matches. Also next week, Dana Brooke and Carmella get a Women’s Tag Team Championship match against Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross.
5. Smackdown Tag Team Championship Triple Threat: Big E defeated The Miz (c) and Jimmy Uso. E pulled Miz out of a figure-four and hit the Big Ending to win the match and the championship for his team. New Day is now 8-time Tag Team Champions.